Tech Salaries Flat or Falling for New Employees

Layoffs may be down for July, but salaries in technology aren't growing. In fact, salaries for new employees are falling, says a recent survey by job board Dice.

From the Dice news release:

Fifty-seven percent of recruiters and hiring managers said salaries for new employees are falling this year, while 35 percent expected them to remain flat with 2008. It's just another indicator that budgets continue to be tight, and hiring managers are feeling the pressure.

With that outlook as a backdrop, the prospect of a raise this year, even a small one, is tenuous. For employers, the challenge becomes finding new ways to reward and motivate staff without spending a lot of money. So, we asked technology professionals, what can companies offer when salary increases aren't a viable option?

According to technology professionals, it's a split decision when it comes to value. Job security (35 percent), training and certification classes (32 percent), and flexible work hours (31 percent) are what they'd appreciate the most today. Notably last -- and we mean really last -- was the idea of C-level recognition for job performance, which was selected by just 2 percent of the respondents.

It's not surprising to me that C-level recognition is at the bottom of that list, since right now many are looking to simply hold on to their jobs, have a continued salary and learn about whatever new technology or gain any management experience that can help them get to the next level--whatever that is.

Also of note from Dice is a list of the latest job postings broken down by technology: